Cabinet structure



April 18, 1961 H. G. WOEHRLE CABINET STRUCTURE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 5, 1958 FIG! INVENTOR HARRY G. WOEHRLE, BY M HIS ATTORNEY.

April 18, 1961 H. G. WOEHRLE CABINET STRUCTURE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 5, 1958 INVENTOR HARRY e. WOEHRLE, BY W ms ATTORNEY.

United States Patent Q CABINET STRUCTURE Harry G. Woehrle, North Syracuse, N.Y., assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Filed Feb. 3, 1958, Ser. No. 712,868

2 Claims. (Cl. 312-7) This invention relates to a cabinet structure and more particularly to a means for fastening a molded cabinet front to a cabinet body.

In housing various forms of equipment, it is often desirable to provide a decorative cabinet front for the housing structure which may be readily removed in order to gain access to the equipment. This type of cabinet would be desirable for housing a television receiver, for example, because both appearance and accessibility are pro-requisites for encasing such equipment. The decorative cabinet front may takethe form of a plastic or other material which may easily be molded into the decorative shapes desired. 'With this type of material, which is not too strong, a problem arises in providing a strong, positive connection between the molded cabinet front and the cabinet body.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide means for making a strong, positive connection between, a molded cabinet front and a cabinet body.

A further object of this invention is to provide an inexpensive means for securing a molded cabinet front to a cabinet body which is easy to assemble and yet readily removable in order to provide convenient access to the inten'or of the cabinet.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a novel means for attaching a molded cabinet front to a cabinet body which resists loosening or movement.

In carrying out this invention a cabinet structure is provided having a cabinet body and a decorative molded cabinet front which is to be mounted on the cabinet body member. The molded cabinet front is provided with a molded boss having a channel therein adapted to receive a spring clip. The spring clip is provided with a hook and a tab which are adapted to secure the clip in the channel of the molded boss. The clip is then hooked or screw-fastened to the cabinet body, thus providing a sturdy and positive means for securing the molded front to the cabinet body.

These and other advantages of this invention will be more clearly understood from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and its scope will be apparent from the appended claims.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 shows a cross-sectional view of the cabinet structure embodied in this invention,

Fig. 2 is an exploded view of the molded boss and spring clip elements utilized in the embodiment of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of the means for fastening the molded cabinet front to the cabinet body shown in Fig. 1,

Fig. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view of an alternative embodiment of this invention, and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged exploded view of the molded boss and spring clip utilized in the embodiment of Fig. 4.

Referring now to Fig. 1, one form of the cabinet structure embodied in this invention is shown with the cabinet designated generally with the character 10. The cabinet 10 consists of a cabinet body 12 and a molded cabinet 1 front 14. The cabinet body 12 is provided with a top side 1 16 having a flange 18 thereon and a bottom side 20 having a flange 22 thereon. The molded cabinet front 14 has a top side 24 and a bottom side 44. The flange 22 of' bottom side 20 is secured to bottom side 44 by a screw 46. The top side 24 is provided with a molded boss 26 having a channel 28 therein, best shown on Fig. 2. The molded boss 26 is also provided with a notch 30.

A spring clip 32 is provided for securing the top side 24 of molded front 14 to top side 16 of body member 12.

As is shown in Fig. 2, spring clip 32 is provided with a hook 34 on one end portion thereof, a tab 36 on a central portion thereof, and stops 38 and a flange 40 on' the other end, portion thereof.

The manner in which the spring clip 32 is utilized for fastening the cabinet front 14 to cabinet body 12 will best be seen in Fig. 3. Spring clip 32 is adapted to be received in the channel 28 of molded boss 26 with hook 34 being adapted to drop into notch 30. With hook 34 in place, a tab 36 engages the upper portion of channel 28 to exert a pressure thereon. A slot 42 is provided in flange 18 of top side 16 for receiving the flange 40 of clip 32.

to keep the clip in place and prevent it from vibrating loose. To remove the clip 32 from the cabinet front 14, the clip 32 is pushed forward in the channel 28, and the hook 34 is raised to clear the lower shelf of the notch 30, and the clip is thus removed.

The entire cabinet front 14 is assembled to cabinet body 12 by hooking flange 40 into slot 42, and then allowing front 14 to seat on cabinet body 12. The screw 46 secures side 44 to the flange 22 of side 20. To remove the cabinet front 14, screw 46 is removed and cabinet front 14 is rotated to unhook flange 40 from slot 42.

Fig. 4 shows an alternative embodiment of the cabinet structure of this invention in which the cabinet is designated generally with reference character 50. Cabinet 50 has a body portion 52 and a molded cabinet front 54. The body member 52 has a top side 53 having a flange 56 thereon and a bottom side 55 having a flange 57 thereon. The molded cabinet front 54 has a top side.66 and a bottom side 58. The bottom side 58 is adapted to be secured to the bottom side 55 of body member 52 by a screw 59. Top side 66 of the molded cabinet front 54 is provided with a molded boss 60 best seen in Fig. 5. The molded boss 60 has a channel 64 therein and a relief notch 62 thereon.

In the embodiment of Fig. 4, a spring clip 70 is utilized to secure the molded cabinet front 54 to the cabinet body 50 on the upper portion thereof. Clip 70 has a hook 72 on one end portion thereof, a tab 74 on the central portion thereof and a flange 76 having a hole 78 therein on the other end portion thereof. In this embodiment, clip 70 is attached to the flange 56 of side 53 by a screw 80 which engages the hole 78 of flange 76 and spring clip 70. As in the previous embodiment, hook 72 is adapted to drop into relief notch 62 of the molded boss 60 with the tab 74 exerting pressure on side 66 to hold the clip in place. The clip may be inserted and removed in the manner described in connection with the embodiment of Fig. v1.

The spring clip, which is utilized in both embodiments of this invention, provides a strong flange to an essentially weak molded front allowing the molded front to be hooked on or screw fastened to the cabinet body. Thus, the clip provides a strong, positive connection between the Patented Apr. 18, 1961 "',-9so, 47s t, s-

molded cabinet remand the cabine body which resists said notch, and means for securing the other end of said loosening or movement of the molded cabinet front with spring clip to said cabinet body.

respect to the cabinet. The cabinet in utilizing the clip 2. A television receiver cabinet structure comprising a embtodied-in-this invention is easy .to a S.$emble,and\e y- 'cabinet body, a molded cabinet front having a front to remove allowing replacement andiiieady access toilhg 5 member and sides rearwardly projecting therefrom, said iliteimal P rtion of tiiicabinetfflThe e.fidi fi liagfitfare" 7 front member and said sides being of generally weak attained without sacrificing the neat appearance? o f the Q mechanical strength, a bosson the inside of one of said 7 ,thisinve'ntiOn. .t t

' Patent of the United StatCS iS n U I body and a molded cabineti'frontto' be'smounted thereto,

cabinet structure; -t a I. i sides, said boss extending toandadjoining with said front Since othermodifications varied to fit particular roperatmember, said bossfdefin'in'g'a channeladj'acent said rearing requirements and -,eiivi'i-k".uimeri'ts will'be aPPaIenfto 10 wardl-ytprojecting side, anotchtin thesidetof said boss those skilled in the art, this-invention is not considered parallel to said rearwardlyl projectingside, a spring clip V liinited to the exampleschosenQfor purposes of disclosure mounted in said channel,one 'end of'said 'clip" having a and ,covers all modifications andgchanges which'zdo not r whook engaginglsaid' notch, tab intermediate the ends of constitute departure from the true spirit 'aIldQS COpte OL said clip pressing against said rearwardly'projecting side 7 V to is t to maintain the engagement of saidhook'with said notch, What I claim, as new and desire to, secure by, Letters 1 V and means for securing the other end of said clip to said I cabinetbody. 1. 'A television cabinet structure com'jrisin a cabinet t. rt t P g 7' References Cited mtlieiildbf thispatent" said cabinet front having a projecting side, jari integfa1a "UNITED STATES PATENTS 1 boss molded on the inside of said side, said boss providing, 492 1731 Adams V 21 1893' a channel between it and the side, said bossalsohaifinga 1 7 181711v Schriefer; ,Mar 1 notch on' 'its, inside surface communicating f withfsaid 2 8 h t 1 1952 channeLa spring clip inserted'in said channel,,said clip" 7 6 6 H f 1 1953 being in the form of a metal strip having a. hooklat one 2 E n ni; t 5 Oct, 1 end engaging said notch, said strip also having, ajtab" 7 9 V F f 9 extending outwardly and towardvsaid cabinet body from 2 1 3 Solheim: 2 1959" an intermediate portion of the strip so as to resiliently: p v. k engage the inside of said projecting sideof 'said/ca'binet t L i 1 V fi-ontand maintaining the engagement of said hook with 17 ,514. 4 w t l d Dec. 1, 934 

